Bentleigh Secondary College News PO Box 186, East Bentleigh 3165 Telephone: 9579 1044 Facsimile: 9579 2720 email: [email protected] CRICOS Provider Code: 00861K Issue: 5 - 17 April, 2015 MESSAGE FROM MRS SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOANNE ANTCLIFF I am delighted to announce that Ross Bevege has been appointed Acting Principal of Bentleigh Secondary College for Term 2, 2015, taking over from former Principal Mrs Karen Wade. Ross, along with the college leadership team of Mr Andrew Batchelor, Mr Marc Koenig and Mrs Tricia Harry are committed to working closely with the Bentleigh Secondary College community during Term 2 to build on the outstanding work completed by former Principal Mrs Karen Wade. Ross comes to Bentleigh Secondary College with a wealth of leadership experience having led four very different school communities as Principal. These include Boronia K-12 College, Berwick Secondary College, Maryborough Education Centre and Alexandra Secondary College. In addition, Ross was the Regional Network Leader for the Casey North Network, and was Acting Principal at Mt Waverley Secondary College last term. Ross is married with three children, each of whom has finished school. His footy team is the Brisbane Lions and his interests include swimming, cycling and music. Please join me in welcoming Ross to the Bentleigh Secondary College community. ACTING PRINCIPAL’S REPORT MR ROSS BEVEGE My name is Ross Bevege and I have taken on the Acting Principal role for the College during Term two. As is listed on the College website my background includes Principal roles at Boronia K-12 College, Berwick Secondary College, Maryborough Education Centre and Alexandra Secondary College. I have also been a Regional Network Leader in the former Southern Metropolitan Region which involved working with the Principals and leadership teams of twenty three schools in the Casey North area. The focus of this work was on School Improvement. What will I be doing during the term? Amongst other things, I will be: Working closely with the College Leadership Team of Mr Andrew Batchelor, Mr Marc Koenig and Mrs Tricia Harry and the wider school community to continue the outstanding practices and processes established by former Principal Mrs Karen Wade and the staff. Ensuring all Department of Education and Training (DET) accountability measures are completed. Building relationships with staff, students and parents. Preparing for a smooth handover to the new Principal who will be appointed through a selection process during the term. The new Principal will commence at the beginning of term three. Building my knowledge base (learning) from the practices and policies that are a part of the culture at Bentleigh Secondary College. Completing the numerous “other” assorted tasks that are associated with the Principal’s role. First Impressions I have received a very warm welcome from staff, students who I have met in the yard and even from some parents!! Walking around the college during class times I have noted learning intentions clearly displayed in most classrooms and the positive focus of students and teachers to the learning process. I have also had the good fortune to attend an interview and work skills presentation to Year 10 students early in the week and was greatly impressed by the quality and relevance of the presentation, as well as the interaction and attention displayed by the Year 10 students. Although I have only been at the College for a couple of days prior to compiling this report, I have been very impressed with the overall “feel” of the school. Open Night The College is currently gearing up for the forthcoming Open Night. The Open Night is an important event in the calendar of every school where prospective students and their families are able to gain an insight into the culture and programs operating within the school they visit. From what I have seen during my short time at Bentleigh SC, the College community has every right to feel proud of the learning culture that has been developed and nurtured over time within the school. I feel certain that visiting parents and students will be greatly impressed by what they experience when they visit the College on the 28th of April. Student Attitudes to School Survey This is an annual survey conducted in all Government schools in the latter weeks of April. The survey data provides an insight into the operations of the College from a student perspective in the areas of Teaching and Learning, Student Relationships and Wellbeing. The College will conduct these surveys in the third week of this term, with the results uploaded onto the College website when they become available. This will generally be sometime during term 3. School Funding During the last week of term 1, a symposium was conducted ‘BEING THE BEST YOU CAN BE’ on “What Next for Victorian School Funding”. It brought together over 170 of Victoria’s educators, parents, the not for profit sector, public servants and politicians. The Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (VASSP) of which I am a member, was represented at this event which examined the state of equity in Victorian schools and the capability of our school funding model to provide an excellent education for all students. I thought the summary report provided by VASSP which appear below may be of interest to parents. Deputy Premier and Education Minister the Hon. James Merlino MP, addressed the forum to outline his ambitions for the 'education state', announcing: In 2016 School budgets will include a line item which specifies how much funding has been allocated as a result of the Gonski deal between the state and federal governments. A full account of how Gonski deal funding has been spent to date. Funding to Victorian schools will be raised to bring them closer to the national average. I welcome these commitments and look forward to seeing the detail in the coming state budget. Most Principals would also like to see the Minister increase needs based funding and update the funding model to increase the equity component. At the symposium there was robust questioning concerning the recent legislation linking the non-government school funding envelope to government school funding. Many believe this undermines the core Gonski principle of sector blind needs based funding. A report was also presented comparing two groups of schools, one serving students from less advantaged families and the other more advantaged families. The report found that school-level education inequality rose in Victoria between 2010 and 2013, a change driven by shifting enrolment patterns. The report also highlighted the societal cost when students exit early from the school system. The report demonstrated that public schools have a significantly higher proportion (29%) of students in the lowest SES quartile, while this is 15% in Catholic schools and 8% in Independent schools. The report indicates that over the period since the Gonski Report was delivered in 2011, government funding (Victorian plus Federal) to government schools increased by 2.7% which is less than inflation. In the same period, government funding to non-government schools increased by 7.5% per annum, almost three times higher and well above inflation. Whatever the rationale for the disparity may have been, any substantive link to need or disadvantage seems to be missing. JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT MR ANDREW BATCHELOR NAPLAN Testing – 12, 13 and 14 May The NAPLAN tests for students in Years 7 and 9 will be held during week 4 of Term 2. On Tuesday 12 May is the Literacy – Language conventions and Writing components; Wednesday 13 May is Literacy – Reading; and Thursday 14 May is Numeracy – calculator and noncalculator components. These tests are important for schools, and there is a great deal of discussion about how schools are dealing with NAPLAN. We will give our students the chance to complete some practice NAPLAN activities, but for most students, the tests are quite familiar by now. The testing will take place on the mornings of 12, 13 and 14 of May and must be taken seriously. The Mathematics component is divided into a calculator and noncalculator test. Students must have their own scientific calculator for this test and will be seriously disadvantaged if they do not. Please note calculators on mobile phones are not permitted. As a general rule students should have a calculator in all of their mathematics classes. Please buy one for your child if he/she does not already own one, before the week of the tests. We will give our students further information about what they will need to do. The information about students that NAPLAN provides is very useful, but it is only one part of a more detailed picture of students’ strengths and needs, that helps us plan and deliver our teaching and learning program. If parents have any questions about NAPLAN, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms Amy Ogdin, Head of Junior School, or Mr Andrew Batchelor, Assistant Principal, Junior School. Parent Approvals Via Compass All parents can access our online portal Compass. This system is used by the school to distribute information to parents, track attendance and approve any time absent from the college, set learning tasks and provide feedback on these, to write reports and publish these via Compass, to set up and publish information about college events such as excursions and camps including the ability for parents to provide consent and make online payments, and to maintain a holistic view of each of our students. It is an efficient way for you as parents to approve permissions for upcoming excursions and events, so please log on and attempt this. If you are having any issues with Compass, please contact the college via the following email address: [email protected] Year 8 Inquiry Based Learning Inquiry Based Learning 2015 which commenced last Monday has begun with great excitement amongst staff and students. The unit focuses on “Change in Australia and Asia” and provides the opportunity for students to complete their Big Question after ‘Immersion’ during Week 1. Students will work on their inquiry learning in their core subjects: English, Maths, Science and Humanities, completing a variety of learning activities. Inquiry Based Learning runs over three weeks culminating in a Presentation Evening for all students and parents on Thursday 30 April at 7.30pm in the Year 8 Learning Centre. It has been great to see all of our Year 8 students engaged in this fantastic learning opportunity. I look forward to seeing you at the Presentation Evening to view their outcomes and provide feedback. School Camps & Excursions: Asthma If your child has asthma, attending school camps and excursions can introduce them to new asthma triggers, especially if they are going into new environments. It is essential that your child can participate fully and safely in all school activities. The following is a list of considerations to make for your child before they go on school camp or on excursions: Is your child’s asthma currently well controlled (eg. no symptoms at night, reliever use less than 3 times per week)? Has your child had an asthma attack or asthma symptoms recently? Does the school have an Asthma Action Plan for your child? Has the school asked you to complete a School Camp and Excursion Medical Update Form? Does your child have their reliever medication and spacer on hand at all times? Are they attending with any other medications to be taken on the camp/excursion? If so, are there sufficient instructions to staff for use/dosage? Does your child self-administer their medication? If so, has their technique been checked recently? For more information, please contact The Asthma Foundation of Victoria on 1800 278 462 or www.asthma.org.au A Taste of Asia Mrs Sue Blackmore - Food Technology Teacher In line with the Australian Curriculum, Year 9 students are participating in an Asian Program which sees them not only preparing dishes such as rice paper rolls, sushi, spring rolls and stir fries, but working on A Taste of Asia Assignment. Students are enthusiastic in their practical classes and are pleasantly surprised by the various tastes and textures that are found in these different dishes. SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT MR MARC KOENIG Winter School Uniform Parents are requested to ensure that their students are in correct school uniform. The first two weeks of Term 2 are a transitional uniform period where students may wear summer or winter uniform. From Monday 27 April all students will be required to be in their correct winter uniform. VCE Study Centre It is encouraging to see increased numbers of VCE students using the study centre before and after school. We encourage students to study together out of school hours. World’s Greatest Shave Tom Fitzpatrick, Mason Dent and Jarryd Chait participated in the World’s Greatest Shave on March 19. The event took place in the PAC at recess before running a BBQ at lunch. They approached their butcher, baker and a hairdresser to donate product and/or services. Honourable mentions should also go to Austenn Harris-King (raised $150), Jasmyn Brandon, Alon Glickman and Kevin Miller who helped out on the day. Their target of $2500 has been exceeded, sitting at $4174 so far. They’re still door knocking. Make a donation to help the Leukaemia Foundation give families as much emotional and practical support as they need, and invest in urgent research to help beat blood cancer. Go to World’s Greatest Shave and search either of their names to make a donation. You can donate until June. School Drop Off and Pick Ups Just a reminder to parents to obey all road rules when dropping off or picking up children. Inspectors have been seen photographing cars double parked or across driveways even if only for a moment. This includes Margaretta Street Vivien Street, Jackson Lane, Clarence Street and Chesterville Road. The safety of our students is paramount. Term 2 Working Bee trialling a Saturday Our Term 2 Working Bee will be held on Saturday May 30. There are many tasks we need to attend to including more planting in our Urban Forest and Wetlands areas, mulching, painting and weeding. Please keep this date free in your diary. If you have any time to spare between 8.00am and 12 noon on this day we would love to see you. Reception in Government House Steven HU - Year 10 and Lisaka LI - Year 11 On 11 March 2015, we (Steven Hu, Lisaka Li and Rita Zhang) were invited to a Reception at Government House for Victorian International School Students Welcome Event 2015. This event was hosted by the Governor of Victoria, Mr Alex Chernov. More than 400 new International students were formally invited to this event, most of them were from China, Vietnam and Korea. This event started with wonderful orchestral music played by Blackburn High School, followed by speeches by the Governor, Deputy Premier and a guest speaker, Mr Tuan Tran who won the Victorian International Student Awards. Mr Tran mentioned how poor his English was when he first arrived in Melbourne, but after a few years of hard work, he became an excellent student and is now studying nursing at university. The Governor and the Deputy Premier spoke about their appreciation of the unique and valuable cultures the International students bring to Victoria. After the speeches, a group of Victorian School students performed “Happy” with a live band. Morning tea was then served as we walked around Government House taking photographs, chatting with students from other Colleges, learning about the history and development of Melbourne. It was so fantastic to represent Bentleigh SC and visit Government House. This visit has inspired us and are convinced us that we have chosen the right place to study in Victoria. Shakespeare Under the Stars Mrs Suzy Watt - Year 12 Literature teacher On Wednesday, 4 March, Mrs Anna Boukouras and I took the Year 11 and 12 Literature classes on what has become a highly prized annual tradition – a trip to the Botanical Gardens to ex perience ‘Shakespeare under the Stars’. A performance that is as close to the original, interactive Elizabethan experience as possible in the 21st Century! This year’s production was the comedy, ‘As You Like It’ – a lively farrago of nonsense involving mistaken identities, warring dukes, cross-dressing, clowns and star-crossed lovers, all presented in fastpaced, witty dialogue, musical performances, dancing and lively action and resolved in a ‘happy-ever-after’ ending. Students relish the interaction between actors and spectators, where everyone is at risk of having an actor sit on your knee, or steal your picnic, or being pulled up to the stage – all while sitting on a rug, munching on all manner of treats, watching birds fly across an increasingly darkening sky, and keeping a wary eye on the ubiquitous, ill-mannered bats. This event is so popular that students outside of the Literature classes beg to come along. Bentleigh Students go Totally Wild for Earth Hour Last term was a busy one for the Bentleigh Secondary College Green Machine. We were approached by Channel 10/11 to be filmed for their Totally Wild Earth Hour Special that went to air on the first Saturday of the school holidays. A group of about 20 students were interviewed about their thoughts on climate change and their understanding of the impact this is having on the natural world. They acquitted themselves extremely well in this role of sharing their knowledge with the wider community. The program can be found at the following link and our part begins at the 17minute mark. http://tenplay.com.au/channel-eleven/totally-wild/ season-22/episode-131 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show On Friday 27 March, the last day of Term 1, thirty teachers from around the State attended a professional development workshop at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show along with six of our Green Machine students and Mr Thomas. Deputy Premier and Education Minister the Hon. James Merlino launched the 2015 VSGA program. The workshop started with Mr Thomas sharing the Bentleigh SC journey and su c c e s s e s at r e d u c i n g t h e school’s impact on the environment. This was followed by the terrarium building segment. Bentleigh SC's "Green Machine" student representatives taught the teachers in a role reversal the finer details on how to make a terrarium in a 2 litre drink bottle. Once shown by the students, the teachers got to get their hands dirty and build their own terrarium. Organisers spoke very highly of the knowledge of our students and the way in which they conducted themselves. Special thanks to Brayden and Liam Berchy, Ryan Wilson, Daniel Forest, Rachel Levit and Fotini Zacharis. Year 11 Biology Excursion Mrs Tana O’Hara - Head of Year 11 & Dr Lauren Binge - Science/ Maths Teacher On Tuesday 17 March, the Year 11 Biology students attended an excursion to the Melbourne Zoo. Students participated in a program at the Zoo’s Discovery Centre, which involved investigating adaptations of different animals and how these adaptations affect their survival. Despite some rain, everyone had a wonderful time observing many animals and collecting data to use for their SAC this term. Senior School Play Ms Jacinta Egan - College Production Coordinator This year students from Years 10, 11 and 12 have once again come together to create an original Senior School Play - The Waiting Room. Using Hamlet as their spring board, they’ve incorporated many different physical theatre techniques, including circus skills, dance and Butoh to create an incredible show that examines what leads us to make decisions and what the impact is on the people around us. Starting in the Performing Arts Centre, audiences move around the college grounds with the actors as the journey unfolds. As audience members will enjoy parts of the performance from outside performance spaces, comfortable shoes and warm clothes are a must. Performance dates: Thursday 14 May, Friday 15 May and Saturday 16 May at 7:30pm. Price: Concession $15, Adult $20. Tickets will be available through Trybooking.com.au which can be accessed t h r o u gh t h e B en t l ei gh Secondary College website from Monday 20 April. Book quickly as this is a theatrical experience not to be missed! Pun and Puzzle Dr Wendy Taylor - Head of Mathematics and Numeracy Pun: What do you call a destroyed angle? A “rectangle” ! Puzzle: Three decimal points are missing from the sum below. Where do they go? 999 + 9999 + 99999 = 1109.97 Solution to last puzzle: It appears the previous problem didn’t have a solution. Woops!! I’ll claim it as a typo and encourage you to have a go at the puzzle above, which does actually have a solution… at least I think it does! Pink Stumps Day – March 25 Mr Paul Dean - Student Leadership Coordinator A big thank you to everyone who participated in both the Pink Stumps Day cricket match and the accompanying fundraising effort. We were able to raise close to $1000 for the McGrath Foundation to aid the fight against breast cancer, and enjoyed a very entertaining cricket match on the day. Some spectacular outfield catching from Ms May and some stylish batting from Mr Koenig enabled the staff to sneak home ahead of the Year 12 students, who played the game in great spirit. The Fashions On The Field, organised by the SRC also added some colour and atmosphere to the day. It was fantastic to see the whole school community get involved and support such a great cause. Donations can still be made via the following link : https:// www.gofundraise.com.au/page/ bentleighsecondarycollege2015 Thank you again for your generous support. MUSIC NOTES Mr Andrew Albanis - Head of Music Program On Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 April the Year 7 Band and the Intermediate Concert Band will be going to Rutherford Park in Blampied for an overnight rehearsal camp. Students need to be at school at 7.15am to help pack the bus. Payments are now due and need to be paid to the General Office. This rehearsal camp will give us the opportunity to workshop pieces and achieve the best possible outcome for our students. Please make sure that the following dates have been entered into your calendars: Junior & Intermediate Rehearsal Camp (Rutherford Park) - Week 2 21 & 22 April Bentleigh SC Open Night (Senior Jazz - PAC) - Week 3 – 28 April Mt Gambier Jazz Festival (Senior Jazz) - Week 3 – 1-3 May Vocal Night (PAC – 5.00pm) - Week 6 – 18 May Woodwind Night (PAC – 5.00pm) - Week 6 – 19 May Bass & Percussion Night (PAC – 5.00pm) - Week 6 – 20 May Brass Night (PAC – 5.00pm) - Week 6 – 21 May Eisteddfod Boroondara (Choir) - Week 6 – 22 May Intermediate Geelong Tour (Intermediate Concert Band & Junior Jazz Band) - Week 11 – 22-24 June On Thursday 16 April, Mary from Youth Connect ran a Work Experience Preparation Workshop for all students in Year 10. Students learnt about the importance of Work Experience and how this opportunity helps students learn more about what type of career they might like in the future. Students also learnt about workplace expectations, etiquette and occupational health and safety whilst on their placement. Students were engaged and well behaved throughout the workshop. A reminder that Work Experience Placement forms must be returned to Mr Hemming by no later than Friday 24 April. SPORTS NEWS Mr Nathan Rogers - Head of Sport Year 7 Girls Tennis Congratulations to the Year 7 Girls Tennis Team for winning the Kingston Division weekly competition. This means the girls will compete at the South Metro Finals on 8 May, 2015. The team consisted of Tamara Bajagic, Hayley Douthie, Rebecca Smith and Zoe Waters. We wish the girls all the best of luck for the finals. CAREERS NEWS Ms Kirstin Conway - Careers and Pathways Coordinator Year 10 Trades/Automotive Industry Excursion Ms Kirstin Conway - Careers and Pathways Coordinator & Mr Steve Sandford - VET Automotive and Product and Design Teacher On Thursday 19 March, a group of keen Year 10 students toured Holmesglen, Chadstone campus, where they were shown through the Building and Construction area and associated trades workshop areas. This included tiling, plumbing, stonemasonry, plastering, building design areas and so on. We also toured Kangan Automotive Centre for Excellence, Docklands, where students learnt about the automotive trades related to the industry. Students saw apprentices in action whilst walking through the different work stations, associated with light, medium and heavy automotive streams. Both tour guides commented on how well behaved the students were and as a result, were shown areas of the centre students would not normally be privileged to see. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and gave the students an insight into what is required in these industries, as well as helpful tips on how to gain an apprenticeship and how to progress through the levels once qualified. Year 10 Career & Pathway Incursions On Tuesday 14 April, all Year 10 students were privileged to hear from a guest speaker who is an expert Interview Skills Coach James Lynch, who spoke to students about developing their Interview Skills. Students learnt about the interview process and how important it is to prepare for an interview. They also learnt how to self promote and differentiate themselves in an interview, which is critical to being successful for any application for a position of responsibility. All students were very attentive and interacted well during the program. House Athletics Carnival A reminder that the 2015 House Athletics Carnival will be held at Duncan McKinnon Athletics Track on Friday 24 April. Students can sign up for events on the day to help score points for their houses and win a spot on the Bentleigh team for the Kingston Athletics Carnival. Students must attend home group as normal and will walk down to the athletics track together. If any students would like to be dismissed from the venue at the completion of the day, notes must be provided to their home group teachers prior to the event. Parent Information Night—Glen Eira Youth Services Mr Wayne Davis - Head of Wellbeing Glen Eira Youth Services is hosting a parent information night on supporting young people through family separation on Tuesday 28 April, with guest facilitators Melbourne Family Relationship Centre (MFRC). MFRC will facilitate discussions about healthy relations and supporting young people through family separation. The presentation aims to equip parents with strategies on how to communicate effectively with your young person; how to best support your young person through this transitional stage; advice on how to approach tricky conversations; and what to look for in behaviour and attitude changes. When: Tuesday 28 April, 7.00-8.30pm Where: Glen Eira Town Hall - Theatrette Corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield Cost: Free This is a ticketed event with limited spaces. To book your seats, contact Youth Services on 9524 3676. Fit-Social Glen Eira Youth Services is running a free program for young people aged 14 to 25 years. Fit-Social is a social fitness program providing an opportunity for young people to meet new people while participating in enjoyable fitness activities. The program is ideal for all fitness levels: When: Fridays, 4.00-5.00pm May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 5, 12, 19, 26 Where: Youth Information Centre 88 Robert Street, Bentleigh Cost: Free IMPORTANT DATES TERM 2 2015 Monday 13 April - Friday 26 June APRIL Monday 13 - Term 2 begins Monday 13 - Thursday 30 - Year 8 Inquiry Based Learning Tuesday 21 - Wednesday 22 - Year 7-9 Rehearsal Camp Thursday 23 - Debutante Ball Friday 24 - Athletics Carnival Saturday 25 - ANZAC Day Recycle Uniform Shop MAY Friday 1 - Sunday 3 - Generations in Jazz Festival Years 9-12 Monday 4 - Thursday 7 - Year 11 OES Great Ocean Walk Tuesday 5 - Years 7 & 9 Immunisations Wednesday 6 - Intermediate Round Robin Thursday 7 - VCE Careers Expo - Caulfield Racecourse Tuesday 12 - Thursday 14 - NAPLAN - Years 7 & 9 Wednesday 13 - Year 11 VCE Success Strategies Thursday 14 - Senior Round Robin Friday 15 - Senior School Play Saturday 16 - 2016 Year 7 Gifted & Talented Test - 9.00am Monday 18 - Vocal Night (PAC) Tuesday 19 - Woodwind Performance (PAC) Wednesday 20 - Bass & Percussion Night (PAC) - Kingston Cross Country - VCE Success Strategies Thursday 21 - Idaho Day (Rainbow Day) - Casual Clothes - Brass Night (PAC) - 5.00pm Friday 22 - Choir - Eisteddfod - 12.30pm TERM 3 2015 Monday 13 July - Friday 18 September TERM 4 2015 Monday 5 October - Friday 18 December Ms Christine O’Keefe - Recycle Uniform Shop Coordinator The Recycle Uniform Shop will be open the last Friday of each month from 8.00-8.45am in the PAC foyer. Dates for Term 2, 2015 are 24 April, 29 May and 26 June. If you have any uniform items and bags you wish to donate please drop them off to the General Office.
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